A new requirement for American travelers to Europe, online travel authorization through the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), has been postponed until 2025.
This requirement limits travelers from non-EU countries such as the United States to 30 European countries, including France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The application fee is 7 euros per application, which adds up to a considerable amount.
Popular European cities will choose to move beyond the financial solution of tourism taxes as they continue to face the challenge of overtourism in 2024.
These destinations are now deploying unprecedented and innovative strategies aimed not only at crowd management, but also at preserving cultural heritage, protecting the environment, and maintaining the quality of life for their residents.
Several new anti-tourist measures in Amsterdam
Amsterdam will raise its tourism tax to 12.5% of accommodation costs in 2024. This will be the highest tax rate in Europe, up from the current 7%. The increase will apply to all facilities, from hotels and guesthouses to campgrounds.
January 2024 also means further action against overtourism in Amsterdam. The city has banned buses weighing more than 7.5 tons from entering the city center, except for those granted special exemptions, and increased the tax on cruise ship passengers visiting the city for a day from 8 euros to 14 euros per person. raised to the euro.
Amsterdam has also banned the opening of new B&Bs within certain central areas in an effort to solve its growing housing problem.
Paris imposes unprecedented tourism tax hike
Paris' tourist tax will increase by 200% in 2024. According to France 24, the increase is part of a government plan to fund strengthening public transport.
The city will host the 2024 Olympic Games from July 26th to August 11th, attracting worldwide attention. Hotels in Paris have already increased prices during the event. The tax increase will make staying in Paris even more expensive. But can we combat overtourism?
France plans to take a proactive approach rather than restrictions, restrictions or bans. “If we want to reduce congestion, we have to offer other destinations, other tourist routes,” Olivia Grégoire, representative of France's minister for small business, trade, crafts and tourism, said in an interview with newspaper Le Figaro.
France will take a new approach to combat overtourism in 2024. By involving social media influencers and highlighting less-visited regions, we hope to reduce interest in more well-known destinations. Understanding that these people have great influence, the French government leverages its extensive network to steer tourists to unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences such as ecolodges and glamping sites in France. I am very passionate about this.
Venice tightens regulations on group travel
Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is still feeling the pressure of overtourism despite banning large cruise ships in 2021.
To combat the daily influx of tourists, Venice is piloting a new access tax for tourists who visit the city without staying overnight. Each visitor pays 5 euros per day from 8:30 to 16:00. The city will test the tax for 20 days in May, June, and July 2024. Based on the results, the city hopes to implement the changes in 2025.
Venice also announced on its official website that it would limit tourist walking groups to 25 people and ban the use of loudspeakers because they cause noise. The scheme is likely to come into force on June 1 and is in line with the company's “Detourism” campaign, which promotes Venice, which is less well-known to tourists.
Venice, like Rome and Florence, may also limit the number of short-term rental properties, which would be in line with Italy's broader national efforts. In June 2023, the Italian Ministry of Tourism published the first draft of a bill to regulate short-term tourist rentals across Italy, including Airbnb listings.
New daily limit for Athens visitors
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni announced the introduction of the new policy in an interview with Greek radio station Real FM. The Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, will limit its daily visitor numbers to 20,000 people from September 2023. Previously the average number of visitors was 23,000 per day. The new program will be trialled until April 1, 2024.
This is similar to the Louvre in Paris, France, the Calanques National Park in Marseille, France, Villa Balbianello near Lake Como in Italy, and Dubrovnik's Old Town, among many others that have introduced daily limits on tourists in the past few years. It follows the example of European places. Croatia.
Portugal considers further action against violating cruise lines
At the end of December 2023, Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas announced a new tourist tax of 2 euros per person for all cruise ship passengers, the same rate paid by hotel guests.
He added that the revenue from this tax “will be used to clean the city, secure green space and represent the city's future strategy.”
The new rates will be effective from January 1, 2024.
Portugal News reported that the mayor indicated he was prepared to use his powers to make it more difficult for cruise lines to enter the country if they did not comply. This could mean further measures will be taken in 2024, including restrictions on bus movement.
This coincides with the year-end announcement of Turismo de Portugal (Portuguese Tourism Board), which has put sustainability and authenticity at the forefront of its 2024 promotional strategy. This approach includes emphasizing sustainable and authentic travel experiences such as Portuguese ecolodges and many others. It will also leverage TikTok for the first time, aiming to move beyond Lisbon's urban charm and allow people to explore Portugal's diverse regions through multiple channels.
Dublin keen to increase tourist numbers
While certain cities in Europe continue to be popular destinations, it's worth considering other cities that offer equally great but less crowded experiences. These alternative destinations offer unique opportunities to explore and enjoy without suffering from overtourism. Measures have also been taken to attract even more tourists in 2024.
In December 2023, Dublin Airport took a significant step towards increasing its capacity to accommodate the growing number of travelers. The airport has submitted an application to increase its annual passenger capacity from 32 million to 40 million. The move signals Dublin's hopes of increasing visitor numbers to the Emerald Isle.
